Exclusive Apple iPad Review – Should you Buy an iPad?
June 24, 2010 1 Comment
By guest author Isaac Brown.
This device needs no introduction. By now most of you would have been subjected to it in one way another, either through its ever present advertising or by it’s vastly growing install base.
As an avid follower of the Consumer Tech industry, I naturally followed the progression of the iPad from the initial announcement, down to its launch. Initially it was met with great skepticism. What is this? Who is it for? Is it just a giant iPhone?
I am going to give you a brief basic rundown on the device and my experience with it thus far.
The iPad
Starting at $499 the iPad is a tablet computer featuring a 9.7″ backlit LED multi-touch screen. It runs Apple’s proprietary iOS operating system, as featured on the iPhone and iPod touch. If you have had any experience with either those devices then the iPad immediately feels familiar and friendly in your hands. The management of Apps, music, movies, pictures and now books are all handled in the familiar fashion through the App Store and iTunes.
It features a fully functional qwerty keyboard that, when on the horizontal axis, is a almost one-to-one size of a MacBook keyboard. I have found typing on the iPad a fast and responsive experience that is great for emails, updating Facebook and even creating Word documents and spreadsheets.
Two separate models of the iPad are available from Apple, being the iPad Wi-Fi and iPad Wi-Fi + 3G (each in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB varieties). The core difference of the two that the 3G version supports the use of a micro sim, allowing you to experience all the network enabled features of the iPad while you are out and about.
I myself am using a iPad 64GB wifi + 3G. I can say that if you are serious about using your iPad as a tool as much as an entertainment device, then having the 3G capability is a must.
As for capacity, having the luxury of 64GB’s is nice but I believe the sweet spot for most users would be the 32GB version, allowing for a variety of media and Apps.
So, what can it do?
One of the biggest misconceptions about the iPad is that it’s solely what we call a ‘consumption’ device, meaning its only purpose is to consume media in the way of browsing the Internet, movies, games, books, music, ect. True, the iPad does all those things and does them very well, but there is so much more to this device.
In the short time since its release there are already thousands of Apps that have been built from the ground up to take advantage of the screen size and processing power of the iPad, plus many of your favourites from your iPhone are being upgraded and optimised for iPad for no additional charge.
I want to talk briefly about a few of the core Apps that come installed out of the box and a suite of three Apps available on the App store.
The core Apps that are found on any Apple handheld device like Mail, Safari, iCal, iPod, Youtube and others have all been redesigned by Apple from the ground up to take advantage of the iPad screen. With the added screen space, navigating feels incredibly seamless, and while the Apps contain more features than their previous counterparts, they are cleverly hidden to maintain that Apple sense of minimalism. Safari and Mail are great examples, the size of the screen allows you to have a web and email experience comparable to any desktop or laptop. And the pinch to zoom feature has never been so responsive in any device; you really have to see it to believe it.
For those wanting to work on their iPad, then Apple’s iWork suite cannot be overlooked. Pages, Numbers and Keynote are the same App’s you use on your iMac/Macbook but designed and built from the ground up for iPad. All three are incredibly feature rich and allow you to create and export lavish Word documents, spreadsheets and Powerpoint presentations from wherever you may be. In particular I find Pages very handy and use it on a daily basis, in fact I am typing on it right now. Though typing long term may be more ergonomic on a desktop, I see no rush to go back to sitting in my rigid office chair. Instead I opt to sit on a couch or a park bench, lay in bed, lean against a wall, all with my iPad. This gives an intrinsically odd feeling that I am holding a magazine… that just so happens to have a computer in it.
Another App that needs mentioning, and the last one I am going to touch on for now, is iBooks.
Naturally, the iPad makes for a great e-reader. The iBook App is available for free on the App store and has offered the best reading experience out of the five e-reading Apps I have tried on iPad so far. Being able to control text size, font and screen brightness go a long way into making reading books on iPad a very enjoyable experience. Plus the added novelty of being able to turn a page manually with a finger gives it a great feel and makes iBooks a great App too show off to your friends.
Unfortunately, it has one major drawback at this time. Due to unsettled licensing agreements in Australia, you are unable to buy and download ebook’s from Apple’s iBook store, found in the App. This is something Apple is trying to rectify as we speak but no mention of when we can buy the latest and current books has been announced. Currently the iBook store offers approximately 18,000 free titles available to download right now, but those titles, considered classics, may not appeal to everyone. That being said, with a little know-how, any ebook downloaded from the Internet can easily be added and viewed in your iBooks library through iTunes.
Surely it can’t be all great, can it?
No, like any device, it has its qualms and irksome quirks. The iBook licensing issue being one of them. But the problem I myself find particularly jarring is streaming content over a 3G network.
It’s important to note that all pictures and video are compressed over a 3G signal, meaning they look marginally less clear when compared to viewing them over your wireless network at home for example. In some cases watching videos on YouTube while using my 3G network (with Telstra) proved almost impossible due to severe pixilation, while the same video over Wi-Fi appears crystal clear. This is a problem, but unfortunately one currently out of Apple’s hands as these compression rules are imposed by the Telco’s and not Apple themselves.
So, how about that iPad, eh?
Numbers don’t lie; the iPad has a bright future. Apple has made it know that over two million iPad’s have been sold since launch; apparently that’s an iPad every three seconds. It’s fair to say that we can expect to see an incredible amount of continued support in the future.
For me, the iPad goes a long way to replacing a laptop. I hardly touch my laptop anymore. Plus for the first time in my life I plan to go traveling without my Macbook pro. And I am quietly confident that I won’t miss it at all.
All that said the inherent freedom offered by a free roaming operating system and real core processing power is something the iPad does not have and thus cannot replace a laptop for.
It is a bad cliché, but you cannot truly comprehend how refined the iPad is until you try it yourself. There is undeniably a sense of wonder when you first hold one in your hands. It’s a great device. And now that it is here, I can’t imagine life without it.
Is it necessary? You are to decide that for yourself.
About the Author
Isaac Brown works in the field of Finance, as a Risk and Compliance Officer for a privately owned subsidiary of Ramsay-Brown International, a multi faceted organisation specialising in venture capital markets, IT consulting and software development.
Isaac’s interests lay in the market analysis of the costumer electronics and interactive entertainment industries. In addition, he spends a lot of time in the study of social science, economics and advertising, specifically in relation to their effect on the development of future technologies and consumer markets.
He believes time is precious and thoroughly underused, and strives hard to maximise productivity in the workspace and at home. Although, having a passion for consumer technology, he firmly believes that technology should work for the individual and not vice versa.
Isaac has been living in the city of Perth for approximately 12 years. He enjoys reading, movies, music, video games and socializing with friends. You will find him spending most of his time at home, in the city, the office, or one of his favourite cafes.
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No, like any device, it has its qualms and irksome quirks. The iBook licensing issue being one of them. But the problem I myself find particularly jarring is streaming content over a 3G network. It’s important to note that all pictures and video are compressed over a 3G signal, meaning they look marginally less clear when compared to viewing them over your wireless network at home for example. In some cases watching videos on YouTube while using my 3G network (with Telstra) proved almost impossible due to severe pixilation, while the same video over Wi-Fi appears crystal clear. This is a problem, but unfortunately one currently out of Apple’s hands as these compression rules are imposed by the Telco’s and not Apple themselves. So, how about that iPad, eh?
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